Closure for shoes.



A. D. CURRY.

cLosuRE 'FOR sHoEs.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 26. ISIS..

1,242,774. Patented Oct. 9,1917.

.ALEXANDER D. CURRY, F HAWKINS'VILLE, GEORGIA.

cLosUaE Fon sHoEs.

Specication of Letters Patent.

Application filed November 26, 1915. Serial No. 68,497.

To all whom t may concern Be it known that I, ALEXANDER D. CURRY, a citizen of the United States, residing at I-Iawkinsville, in the county of Pulaski and State of Georgia, have invented a new and useful Closure for Shoes, of which the following is a specification. l

My present invention relates to a closure for shoes whereby the cord, trained through eyelets, drawn taut, and secured, effectively holds the shoe section snugly about the foot or limb.

The principal objects of my invention'are to provide a closure for shoes which is neat, efficient, inexpensive to manufacture, and such as will remain in good repair, distributing the pull upon the eyelets, evenly throughout the shoe section.

Other objects of the invention are to provide, as an article of manufacture, inexpensive securing devices embodying an eyelet and means for facilitating the securing of the device to the shoe section; such articles so formed that when properly secured to the shoe section, a portion of the latter aids in holding the shoe string from displacement; and, such articles which have the dual function of a securing device embodying an eyelet and a retaining means for the end portion of the shoe string.

A further object of the invention is to provide a shoe closure which may be quickly opened or secured, and which embodies a single string, having a single run through the eyelets whereby the latter may be drawn to dispose their axes in alinement.

Other objects of the invention will appear in the following detailed description, taken lin connection with the accompanying drawing, forming a. part of this specification2 and in which drawing:

Figure 1 is a partial front perspective view of a shoe embodying a closure, constructed according to my invention.

Fig. 2 is anupright sectional view through the lowermost securing device.

Fig. 3 is a similar view of a closure device, a plurality of which are used in the make up of the closure.

Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view through the securing devicel shown in Fig. 3 but secured between plies of the shoe section. I

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of an open eyelet securing devlce, av plurality of which may be used for the shoe closure.

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 4 showing the application of this last mentioned securing device to the shoe.

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of a modilied form of open eyelet securing device.

Fig. 8 is a` view similar to Fig. 4 showing the application of this last mentioned modilication to the shoe.

Fig. 9 is a view similar to Fig. 3 showing a combined shoe fastener and string holder, used as the uppermost eyelet member of the shoe closure. y

Fig. 10 is a perspective view of a portion i of the device shown in Fig. 9.

In the drawing, where similar characters refer to similar parts throughout Ythe several views, A designates a shoe including a shoe upper B, having separable marginal portions C. In the application of my invention to a shoe, as disclosed, the closure forfthe shoe upper embodies a closed eyelet secured section D; an open eyelet secured sect-ion E; and, the securing cord F. Referring first to the 4 closed eyelet secured section 'D it comprises a plurality of shoe* fasteners 11, the lowermost fastener 12 being slightly different than those designated 11, as will hereinafter appear.v Shoe fastener 11 comprises an elongated tubular element 13, which forms the closed eyelet, preferably having flared ends 14 so as to not cut the string; and, a flat strip of material 15, such as leather, looped about said tubular element, with portions 16 extending from the periphery of the latter, and lying in planes parallel to the axis of the tubular element. If desired, a suitable adhesive 17 may be applied intermediate these portions 16 to secure them together, and completing a simple article of manufacture which may be conveniently placed in connection with the shoe.

The shoe fastener 11 may be secured to the marginal portion ofthe shoe in any suitable manner, however.'as clearly shown in Fig, 4, I prefer to dispose the portions 16 intermediate plies of material 18, of which the marginal portion C is composed, stitching 19 passing through these plies of material and portions 16 of the flat strip 15.

Patented-oct. 9, 1917.

By this construction the pull upon the eyei let is evenly distributed throughout the shoe tion of tubular member 13 is enlarged as at 20, to receive the knot 21, or other enlargement of string F. The shoe fasteners are alternately 'arranged and carried by the marginal portion C in such a manner that the axes of the closed eyelets are upright, and may be drawn into axial alinement., as clearly shown in Fig. 1.

Concerning the open eyelet secured lsection E, a plurality of alternately arranged shoe fasteners 21 are secured to the separable marginal portions of the shoe upper. As shown in Figs. 9 and 10 these fasteners may be formed of sheet metal and include an open eyelet 22, having an extension23 to lie between the plies 18 of the marginal portion C. The fastener may be secured to the shoe upper lin any suitable manner but in the preferred form is riveted in place, as by rivet 24 the shankof which extends through a perforation 25 in extension 23. The head 26 of the rivet may be ornamental or enlarged to facilitate the guiding of the string into the open eyelet 22. 1t is also preferred to dispose the open eyelet with respect to one of the plies 18, so that the latter partially closes the opening in said eyelet and under which conditions, if the string F provided, is of a cross section greater than thespace between the eyelet and said ply of material,

the string may be compressed in being drawn into place and the said ply o f material will then aid in holding the string 1n lace. p ln the modification shown in Figs. 7 and 8, the fastener 21 'is formed of a single strand of'wire 27 dattened as at 28 where it lies between the plies of material 18.

'llhese fasteners 21 are` alternately ar' ranged on the separable marginal portion C preferably to be axially alined.

Referring now to ythe combined shoe fastener and string holder 29, clearly shown in Figs. 9 and 10, it comprises a closed eyelet 30 having an elongated tubular portion 31 through which the string passes, and extensions 32; a bifurcated pawl 33 pivoted to extensions 32 as'at 34; a spring 35 acting upon pawl 33 to normally hold it with bifurcations resting upon the upper portion of tubular section 31; and, a Hat strip of material 36 looped about the closed eyelet 30 for the purpose set forth in connection with fastener 11. Spring 35 may be held in place by crimping the closed eyelet 30 as at 37 and having portions 38 of the extensions 32 embracing the lower portion of the.

spring. The bifurcated pawl 33 is sov disposed in connection with the closed eyelet that when assug a .position onsive to spring '35, it compresses the spring F against the inner wall of the eyelet, as clearly shown in Fig. 9 holding the string taut. rlhe string may be easily released by merely lifting upon one of the bifurcations.

-moval of the shoe. All of the shoe ginal edges of a garment, or t narrante tion to the upper portion of the upper is necessary and, in view of the arrangement of closed and o en eyelets, the upper may be quickly opene or closed and a relatively short string is all that is required.. By freeing the upper end of the string from the device 29, the string may be released from the open eyelet and at the closed eyelet section, the fasteners ma be drawn out of axial alinement to facllitate the placing or reasteners are so connected with the separable inarginal portions that the pull is distributed evenly throughout the shoe upper and which enablesthe shoe to be maintained in good repair and hold vits shape for a considerable length of time, which is in contradistinction to shoes embodying open eyelets disposed upon the separable marginal portion of the upper.

Changes in detail ma be made without departing from the spirit of my invention;

ut, v

li cla:

1. ln a closure, the combination of opposed rows of sta gered closed eyelets adapted to be secure to the opposite marginal edges of a garment and adapted to interfit in axial alinement, opposed rows of staggered hooks adapted to be secured to said marginal edges in line with the eyelets and adapted to intert in axial alinement therewith, and a single strand threaded through the eyelets and adapted fory engagement over said hooks, said strand being adapted to be drawn taut to draw into and retain the opposed eyelets and hooks in axial alinement. v

2. lin a closure, the combination.v of opposed rows of staggered closed eyelets adapted to be secured to the opposite marp e like, and adapted to interit in axial alinement,'op posed rows vof staggered hooks adapted to be secured to said marginal edges inline with the eyelets and adapted to intert in axial alinement, a single strand Ewen throughthe eyelets and adapted for .fr gement over said hooks, said strand ing adapted to be drawn taut to move the eyelets and hooks into axial alinement. and to dispose the strand in substantially a straight line, and a fastener arranged at the end of the row of hooks for engagement with the strand when drawn taut to retain the strand in taut position.

3. In a closure, the combination of opposed rows of staggered eyelets adapted to be secured to the opposite marginal edges of a garment or the like and adapted to interit in axial alinement, a strand permanently threaded through said eyelets and adapted to be drawn taut into a substantially straight line to hold the eyelets in axial alinement and to be slaekened to admit spreading of the said marginal edges, and

opposed rows of staggered hooks adapted to be secured to said marginal edges 1n line with said eyelets and adapted to receive the free end of said strand thereover when the latteris drawn taut, the free end of the strand being adaptedl to extend in a straight line through said hooks to hold the latter in axial alinement with the eyelets.

4. In a closure, the combination of opposed rows of staggered eyelets adapted to be secured to the opposite marginal edges of a garment opening adjacent one end thereof and adapted to interfit in axial alinement, opposed rows of staggered hooks adapted to be secured to said edges at the other end of said opening in line with said eyelets and to be interfitted in axial alinement therewith, a single strand threaded through said eyelets and being of a length equal to that of said garment opening and adapted to be alternately engaged over the i 35 opposed rows of hooks and to be drawn up into substantially a straight line to axially aline all of said eyelets and hooks, and a fastener carried by the garment at said other end of -the opening for engagement with the extremity of the strand when drawn taut7 the portions of the strand engaging the hooks being of suiicient length when released therefrom to admit the spreading of the eyelets without removing the strand therefrom.

- ALEXANDER D. CURRY. 

